AUGUST 12, 2015

National Thrift Shop Day is August 17

BELLEVUE, Washington – While many consumers around the world celebrate thrift shopping every day, Savers thrift stores today released results from the second-annual Shopping Survey* in advance of National Thrift Shop Day on August 17. Today’s “thrifters” aren’t shopping thrift out of necessity; 76 percent of Americans are choosing thrift with the top two reasons being that it’s cost-effective and feels like a treasure hunt. The new data about Americans’ shopping behaviors also highlights:

• Good Deals: 77 percent agree that it’s important that they get a good deal or value on the items they buy.
• Unique Finds: Almost 40 percent place importance on finding unique items for their wardrobes or homes.
• Sustainability: Almost three quarters (73 percent) of Americans prioritize the environment in their lifestyle or shopping habits, and more than 60 percent feel it’s essential that they recycle.

Rewarding Recycling
A higher percentage of thrift shoppers prioritize buying sustainable or recycled products as compared to those that do not shop thrift (46 percent versus 37 percent), and a higher percentage also try to purchase items made by companies who are environmentally conscious (40 percent versus 27 percent). Savers helps shoppers fulfill their recycling goals in two ways; one, buying secondhand and two, Savers stores are stocked from product purchased from local and national charities. By donating at Community Donation Centers at Savers or to the stores’ local nonprofit partners, consumers are not only recycling their goods and keeping them out of landfills, but they’re also supporting a local nonprofit in their community.

Back to School on a Budget
As September approaches, saving time and money is on the minds of parents across the nation. More parents than non-parents (86 percent versus 71 percent) have visited thrift stores and 53 percent of parents would be most likely to shop at a thrift store for clothing or shoes this back-to-school season. Savers offers savings between 70 and 90 percent compared to other full-price and discount retailers. Because 99.5 percent of items at Savers are priced below $9.99 in the kids section, a full wardrobe for kids can easily be purchased for $100 or less. Going back to school in gently-used, name brand clothing at a fraction of retail price is sure to make the grade.

Additional Survey Findings
Frequent Thrifters: The survey results show that close to 80 percent of respondents have shopped at thrift stores, and almost 40 percent of thrift shoppers visit their favorite thrift store at least monthly.

Everyday Value: While the majority of Americans prioritize good deals when they shop (77 percent), many are actually growing tired of the extra work often involved with saving money on the items they want. Since last year, Americans are less likely to clip coupons (43 percent versus 50 percent) and regularly look out for sales (50 percent versus 57 percent).

Savvy Shoppers: Thrifters tend to exhibit smarter shopping behaviors than those who have yet to take advantage of thrift stores like Savers. Almost half of thrift store shoppers (46 percent) try to stick to a budget when shopping, compared to only 37 percent of those who have never shopped at a thrift store.

Beyond the Clothing Racks: Eighty percent of thrifters have visited thrift stores to buy something related to entertainment or hobbies—specifically, books, toys or games, movies, electronics, music, crafting supplies and sports equipment. Almost as many (72 percent) have purchased furniture or some common home items from a thrift shop.

Shopping with the Stars: If given the difficult choice, American women would most want to spend the day shopping with Kate Middleton (31 percent), while men would most enjoy hitting the racks with Justin Timberlake (26 percent) or Neil Patrick Harris (25 percent). Among women over age 54, nearly a third (32 percent) would most want to shop with Michelle Obama, while only 14 percent of women 18-54 would want to shop with the current First Lady.

Women Win: When they shop, saving money is top of mind for far more women than men. More women than men find it important to get a good deal on the things they buy (82 percent versus 72 percent), try to pay full price as rarely as possible (60 percent versus 44 percent) and attempt to stick to budgets when they shop (49 percent versus 38 percent). Also, more women than men are likely to shop at stores that have sales often (59 percent versus 44 percent), and perhaps not surprisingly, tend to beeline to the sale section the moment they walk in (53 percent versus 30 percent).

“Shopping at Savers offers shoppers good deals on unique fashion, accessories and home decor— and makes the process fun,” said Savers’ chief marketing officer, Karin Koonings. “We look forward to celebrating Savers, the ‘world’s greatest thrift shop’ with our community of new and loyal thrift shoppers on National Thrift Shop Day, August 17.”

The Savers family of thrift stores, with its department store-like experience, brings together the great deals and one-of-a-kind finds shoppers want. With more than 100,000 items on the sales floor and thousands of new items added every day, shoppers know they can stay under budget by shopping at Savers, allowing them to explore the possibilities of fashion, home décor and more, like never before.

*Methodology Note: The Savers Shopping Survey was conducted by Kelton during the summer of 2015 and polled 1,001 nationally representative Americans aged 18 and older. The margin of error is +/-3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.